Back at the shop, Jiang Yanyi felt restless all morning.

She couldn’t shake the feeling of indebtedness to Feng Shuo for saving her, but she wasn’t sure how she could repay him.

Jiang Yanyi was so troubled that she pulled out several strands of her own hair in frustration.

Qiu Kui, oblivious to Jiang Yanyi’s mood, thought her distress was due to the fall she had taken earlier that morning.

However, Aunt Guo, being more experienced, could tell that something was weighing heavily on Jiang Yanyi’s mind.

During lunch, Aunt Guo playfully asked, “Shopkeeper, why do you look so preoccupied?”

Jiang Yanyi forced a smile, “I’ve been given a great favor, and I’m worried about how to repay it.”

Aunt Guo replied, “It must be that nobleman from the estate next door. Such people don’t care about being repaid—they care more about the person involved.”

Jiang Yanyi paused, feeling embarrassed. “Aunt Guo, don’t say such things. He’s a prince, of noble birth, while I… well, what am I?”

Aunt Guo responded, “Even an emperor is just a man, and emperors still choose their consorts from among the people!”

Jiang Yanyi felt Aunt Guo’s words were a bit strange. “How is that the same?”

“Why wouldn’t it be the same?” Aunt Guo shifted the topic, “Or is there already someone else in your heart?”

Jiang Yanyi lowered her head and prodded at her rice. “No… Auntie, there are things I can’t explain to you. But a person should know their own limitations.”

Aunt Guo’s eyes briefly flickered with something unreadable as she replied, “I’m only saying this because I’ve been through it. I see you young ones all tied up in knots, and it makes me worry for you.”

She sighed and continued, “When I was your age, I worried about everything too. I was so afraid of making mistakes that I wished I could see the road ahead clearly before taking a step. But life doesn’t work that way.”

She reminisced about her late husband. “I often regret my younger days with him. He used to say he would live longer than me, that he would stay behind to handle my final arrangements and come find me afterward. He said he worried about me, even for my funeral… but in the end, it was him who went first.”

Aunt Guo wiped a tear from her cheek. “If I had known he would pass so soon, I wouldn’t have married him. Then, at least I wouldn’t have to cry over him now. But if I could do it all over again, I’d only want to treat him better during his short time here. I wouldn’t argue with him or hold grudges. Our life together was too short to waste on petty quarrels.”

Jiang Yanyi handed Aunt Guo a handkerchief, “Please don’t cry, Auntie. It wouldn’t be good for your eyes.”

Aunt Guo was usually strong and seldom emotional.

Without children, she had no one to share these thoughts with, so she accepted the handkerchief and dabbed her tears. “I didn’t mean to make you laugh at me.”

Jiang Yanyi shook her head, “You’re a person of deep feeling, Auntie.”

Aunt Guo composed herself, “You’ve done well for yourself, running such a large shop. You have your own mind and can make decisions. I’m just sharing my thoughts. Don’t take it too seriously.”

“Not at all,” Jiang Yanyi replied. “I have no elders nearby, and some things are hard to decide on my own. I can only confide in you. But… he and I are worlds apart. Even if his affection is genuine, it’s likely just temporary. If I give myself away, I may end up trapped in a deep courtyard, living out a miserable life.”

By “he,” she meant Feng Shuo.

Aunt Guo replied, “I’m not as thoughtful as you, but why are you so sure he’ll grow tired of you? Some things can’t be decided by guessing alone. Regardless of rank, everyone in his household respects you. If the master hadn’t given his approval, would they behave this way?”

Seeing that Jiang Yanyi remained silent, Aunt Guo was about to continue when she accidentally knocked a bowl off the table.

She caught it effortlessly without even looking.

Had Jiang Yanyi not been preoccupied, she might have noticed that such reflexes were not typical of an ordinary kitchen maid.

Aunt Guo looked at her seriously and said, “If you truly have no feelings for him, then avoiding him is fine. He’ll understand and likely let it go. But if you’re avoiding him because you’re overthinking things, then I feel sorry for him. You don’t even know him well enough to assume how he’ll treat you. Why are you always expecting the worst?”

“You should be open about what you need and want, let him know, and then see how he responds. You’ll know whether his promises are empty or if he’s sincerely planning for the future. Then you can decide.”

These words struck Jiang Yanyi like a splash of cold water.

She had always prided herself on being calm and collected, but in matters of the heart, she was like a hedgehog, unwilling to let anyone too close without absolute security.

Feng Shuo’s affection had come suddenly, and her instinct was to retreat.

She had already imagined countless ways things could go wrong, and that fear kept her at a distance.

But as Aunt Guo had pointed out, she really didn’t know what his feelings were or how long they would last.

She didn’t understand him.

Jiang Yanyi reflected on her memories of Feng Shuo.

He was indeed fierce at times, but he wasn’t as unreasonable as she had imagined.

Recalling how he had held his shoulder against the wall when they left the estate that morning, she felt a pang of guilt.

Putting aside her fears, he had saved her three times now.

The first was in the military camp, rescuing her from the scar-faced man.

The second was standing up for her against Madam Hu.

And the third was this morning, catching her when she fell from the wall.

Growing more embarrassed, she sighed, “I should buy a good ginseng root to thank him tomorrow.”

She would test the waters first, and then decide if it was time to reveal her true identity.

The next day, when Jiang Yanyi went to the Protectorate to check on the chili seedlings, she also brought along the expensive old ginseng she had bought.

When the gatekeeper heard that the ginseng was for Feng Shuo, he didn’t dare decide whether to accept it and went to call for the steward, Fu Xi.

Jiang Yanyi waited at the door for a moment, but instead of Fu Xi, Chi Qing appeared.

This was the first time Jiang Yanyi had run into Chi Qing since leaving the military camp.

She greeted him, “Military Advisor Chi.”

Chi Qing was carrying several large packages, wrapped in paper, but the strong medicinal smell still wafted through.

His fox-like eyes roved over her, sizing her up. “It’s you. I heard you opened an antique soup shop next door?”

“Just a small business to make ends meet,” Jiang Yanyi replied.

Chi Qing’s gaze fell on the red lacquered wooden box in her hands.

Having already been informed by the servants that she brought a piece of old ginseng, he gestured toward it with his mouth, asking, “Why the sudden decision to gift old ginseng?”

Recalling the events of the previous day, Jiang Yanyi smiled awkwardly but politely. “Yesterday, while I was rescuing a parrot on the wall, I clumsily fell. Thankfully, the prince saved me, and I barely escaped with my life. I noticed the prince didn’t seem in the best of health, so I thought it might be good to bring him some ginseng to nourish his body.”

When Chi Qing heard her mention that Feng Shuo was unwell, his expression changed. “Come with me.”

Jiang Yanyi was confused but followed.

When they reached a quiet spot, Chi Qing asked, “How did you know the prince wasn’t well?”

Jiang Yanyi felt his gaze was sharper than usual, so she answered truthfully, “The old wound on the prince’s body—it seemed to have been aggravated when he saved me…”

“You saw the prince’s scar?” Chi Qing interrupted her, his eyes suddenly filled with a complex emotion.

Although she had only glimpsed the scar that stretched to his shoulder, she had indeed seen it.

Hesitating, Jiang Yanyi nodded.

Chi Qing’s face grew grim. “Have you told anyone else about the prince’s injury?”

Realizing the gravity of the situation from his serious demeanor, Jiang Yanyi quickly shook her head. “Aside from you, Military Advisor Chi, I haven’t told a third person.”

She had bought the ginseng simply because it seemed like an appropriate gift.

Jiang Yanyi knew nothing about medicine, but she assumed ginseng was a good supplement.

Chi Qing’s expression softened, and he handed her the stack of medicine bags in his hands. “Since he trusts you so much, he’ll probably listen to you. Take these and brew the medicine for him.”

“This… I…” Jiang Yanyi felt Chi Qing must have misunderstood something.

Just as she was about to explain, Chi Qing looked at her with a meaningful expression and asked, “Do you know how he got that wound?”

Facing Chi Qing’s slightly distant gaze, Jiang Yanyi had no choice but to shake her head.

Chi Qing’s gaze drifted toward a pond in the distance, where only withered brown lotus stems remained. “In the 13th year of Jiayuan, the Hanming Kingdom from the southern border invaded. Hu State fell, and the general in command abandoned the city. The civilians couldn’t evacuate in time, so the prince, with only three thousand remaining soldiers, defended the city gate to buy time for the people to escape.”

“At the time, Hanming’s army numbered fifty thousand!” At this point, Chi Qing gave a bitter smile, the kind filled with desolation.

“Those three thousand soldiers fought to the death. The prince was trapped. The Hanming commander was skilled with a Xuanhua axe, and it’s said he even used it to split open city gates.”

“The commander wanted to personally decapitate the prince. Exhausted, the prince could only expose his back to lure the commander in, intending to take him down with him. But just as the Xuanhua axe came down, one of the prince’s aides shielded him.”

“That strike was so powerful that the man shielding the prince was split in half. Even then, the axe’s remaining force cleaved into the prince’s back, leaving that deep scar that runs across his spine. Fortunately, the prince managed to behead the Hanming commander with a spear right after. That battle…” Chi Qing paused, his voice growing hoarse. “Was not in vain.”

Jiang Yanyi shivered as she listened to the vivid description of the battle, her skin crawling.

She asked, “That aide… was…”

“It was my brother.”